Aspects of Robins (Past and Present)
by songdreamer2016
Summary: My collection of Robin drabbles - mostly canon pairings, with various topics... Rated T for Jason's cursing.
1. Confusion - Damian Wayne

Damian did not understand why his mother had left him here - his father was so much more, and so much less, than what he had imagined, but he could not _understand._ The other occupants of the manor - his so-called "brothers" - were loud (Grayson), and needy (Drake), and Damian did not, _could not_ understand why his father sheltered them.

They were always so _emotional_, bursting with feelings, with weaknesses that would have done them much good if culled, and yet...

And yet his father talked to _them_, and spent more time with the ones not of his flesh and bone, with the usurpers of his father's affection -

In retrospect, what he had done to retrieve the Robin identity from Drake was predictable. Damian had sought his father's attention, and had done what he had been taught to do since birth - he had defeated the current object of his father's affection so that he, in turn, would be granted the privilege. It had come to him as almost a second nature, and Damian had completed it without remorse or a second thought.

His father's reaction confused him further. He had just defeated Drake to earn his father's affection - just as he had always done with his mother and grandfather - and his father was defending _Drake_, telling Damian that his actions were _wrong_.

The ten-year-old's mindset that he had possessed since birth did not react kindly to this new information - what his father had informed him of was so vastly in contrast to what he believed, but could not reject it. He himself was correct, but his father could not be wrong. So where did that leave him?

Confused, he had lashed out in anger and petulance, hiding his childish confusion under contempt and scorn - for this, this _emotion_ was a weakness and he was an _al Ghul_.

(_"Remember this, habibi - al Ghuls cannot be weak."_)

* * *

Then his father died, and Damian was _numb_ - because Father was _Batman_, and Batman _could not die_. He wanted to protest to the world that things did not work that way, and that his father _was not dead_, and that he would be back - but his father was not coming back.

After several weeks, the family was falling apart (_"Bruce - Bruce is _dead_ -"_) and Todd traversed Gotham as Batman, guns blazing and black cape flaring. Grayson did not want the mantle, while Drake could see how Gotham needed it - how Gotham needed _the Batman_, and argued that it was _for the best_ - but still Grayson would not bend.

Soon, Drake grew tired of Grayson's refusals and went out on his own, wearing the cape and cowl - going out to fight Todd.

(_Predictably, he lost, and Grayson had to rescue him._)

* * *

Later, when Grayson chose Damian over Drake for the mantle of Robin (_"He needs this, Tim."_), he was triumphant. He had come to terms with his father's death (slightly) and had grudgingly accepted Grayson's ascension to the mantle (_without it, Gotham would have perished into chaos_).

Besides, Drake had lost his mind, saying that his father wasn't dead (_"He's still alive! I _know_ he is!"_) and Gotham did not need an insane Robin.

In a fit of childish behavior, Drake left the house, worrying Grayson to pieces (_"This is all my fault - maybe I should have waited longer...?__"_) until he reappeared several months later, wearing an old costume of Todd's (_"__You've got to be joking. _Red Robin_?"_). The former Teen Wonder moved out, leaving Damian to be the sole object of Grayson's attention.

(_It took him a while to get used to it, but when he did, it... wasn't as bad as Damian first thought it was_.)

* * *

While he worked with Grayson, Damian began to understand why his father had defended Drake. The acrobat taught him, guided him, _loved_ him - and Damian was happier than he had been in years. Grayson was patient (_excessively so_), slowly teaching Damian his father's brand of justice. In this way, Damian did not need his father's approval - not when he had Grayson's.

He was content with his situation (_He was__ feeling slightly guilty for betraying his father by appreciating Grayson more - but his father __had never showed him affection, and __was gone, so it did not plague him constantly._)

* * *

**AN:  
****Sooooo... Yeah, I should be finishing So Not Feeling the Aster, but the chapters aren't flowing... Much. Sorry to those who're waiting for the next chapter - it might take a while.  
This is basically going to be little drabbles for (mostly male) Robins (past and present)... So I might be updating this more frequently than So Not Feeling the Aster :/ Thanks for reading! Please review - I'd really appreciate it :D  
**


	2. Cuddling - Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne

**AN: Hey! So I'm back with another drabble for the Robins... This was supposed to be angsty, but somehow turned fluffy at the end :) Here's your daily dose of cuddly Damian (because we all know there isn't enough of it out there :D)**

* * *

With a groan, Dick dragged himself out of his oh-so-comfortable spot on the couch and reached for the phone buzzing on his dresser. He groggily pressed the flashing answer button and placed it at his ear, mumbling, "Hello?"

_"...T-tt. I take that you were asleep."_

The soft, melancholy voice drove the last bits of fogginess out of his head, and Dick sat up. "Damian? Is that you?"

_"Who else would it be."_

Unbidden, Dick's mouth crept up into a smile. "What's wrong? You usually don't call at," he glanced at the clock on his dresser, "five in the morning. Don't you have school today?"

_"It is a teacher work day. And there is nothing wrong."_

"Alright," said Dick, stretching. "Then why'd you call?"

_"Father is attending a conference in Belgium this week, and I require your help to clean out the basement."_

Dick frowned slightly at the code for I need you with me on patrol. "Bruce said okay?"

_"His approval is not necessary."_ There was a short pause, followed by what sounded like a repressed sigh. _"Come help anyway."_

"Damian, are you sure there isn't anything wro - "

_"There isn't."_ Damian's curt reply cut off Dick's worried statement. _"Just be here by tomorrow."_ The phone clicked, indicating that Damian had hung up.

Dick placed his phone back on the dresser and sighed, flopping back onto his bed. _What's wrong with Dami?_ he wondered. _He usually asks for Bruce for permission before asking me over for patrol._ He got back up and walked towards the closet, reaching for the duffel bag on the upper shelf that had been packed in advance for such situations. _Did something happen between those two again?_ Dick tossed the bag onto his bed and tugged his pajama shirt over his head, musing all the while.

* * *

"Hey, Alfred! Long time no see!" Dick closed the door behind him and hugged the grandfatherly butler.

Returning the embrace, Alfred replied, "Indeed, Master Dick. I am pleased to see you in good health. I take that you have already eaten lunch?"

"Yeah, I stopped by at a diner on the highway."

With a fond smile Alfred took Dick's jacket and hung it on the hat stand by the main entrance, saying, "I do believe Master Damian is waiting in his room. Please inform him that we will have dinner at six, as usual."

"Sure thing, Alfie!" said Dick over his shoulder as he bounded up the stairs. He turned at the second floor and sprinted down the hallway, stopping in front of Damian's room. Flinging the door open, Dick exclaimed, "Little D! I'm home!"

"Tt," said Damian, as he pulled out an earphone bud. "I could hear you from all the way up here."

"I missed you too, little bro!" said Dick, and approached Damian, arms spread wide. "Hug?"

Damian scowled, but turned and faced him, not shying away. "I guess this one time wouldn't hurt."

Surprised that Damian hadn't threatened to kill him, Dick peered down at the ten-year-old in his arms. "Are you sure everything's all right? You usually don't like getting hugs."

"It has been a while since you visited. I felt it was necessary."

Dick smiled fondly, catching Damian's unspoken_ I missed you_. He reached down and ruffled Damian's hair, grinning widely when Damian burrowed closer into the hug. His smile slowly faded as he realized something. _If Damian's actively looking for affection, whatever happened must have been pretty bad._ Gently maneuvering themselves around Damian's cat, he tugged Damian onto his lap as he sat on the bed, brow furrowing when the boy did not protest. "Damian, what happened? You usually throw a fit when I try to sit you in my lap. Come on, Dami. Talk to me."

There was a rustle of clothing as Damian adjusted his position. Then, with a barely audible sigh, Damian turned his face towards Dick's neck, fisting his hands in the man's shirt. He refused to reply, and remained silent.

Patience was not one of the acrobat's virtues, but Dick waited, slowly stroking the boy's hair. Gently, he pried away Damian's fists from his shirt, and shifted the boy to prevent him from feeling uncomfortable. Damian didn't resist, slowly relaxing into the warm, comforting embrace that was all Dick Grayson.

"Nothing happened," the boy mumbled. "I just felt... lonely." With another sigh he snuggled closer, wrapping his small arms as far as he could reach around the man's waist. A mumbled, "If you tell Drake, I will end you" drifted up from Damian, and Dick hid his smile in the boy's hair.

(_Of course, this meant that Dick had to talk to Bruce again, because the Dark Knight's parenting skills were MIA if Damian was feeling lonely. But that was alright - no parent was perfect, after all._)


End file.
